Major Repercussions
by thoughtsareconstellations
Summary: The smallest change in time can have major repercussions. Let's assume, just for example, that Ianto Jones did not die.  Don't ask us why he's still alive. He just IS.


„_Tomorrow night on the hill where Owen fed his mobile to a Weevil. Jack." _Gwen Cooper knew the little note by heart and yet held it into the meager light of the car lights again and again to make sure she hadn't gotten anything wrong. He was back! After almost a month of uncertainty that hadn't been easy for anyone, he was back again. When the note had appeared inside a pizza box, Ianto and her had known exactly which place was meant.

A swift smile crossed Gwen's face as she thought of Owen. Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato. The two of them had died during the killing spree of Jack's little brother Gray. Within an instant, the Torchwood-Team had been reduced from five to three. And since he was gone, there were only two left.

Rhys turned onto a gravel path. He had insisted on driving. The car jolted on for a while without anyone talking. Suddenly, Rhys turned off the engine and yanked the other two out of their trance. "I can't drive any further", he said apologetically. Then he hurried around the car and opened the door for a very much annoyed Gwen.

"You don't have to do that!", she said in an attempt to fight back, which was immediately destroyed with a "of course I have to!".

Then the back door opened and a man in an accurately ironed suit stepped into the moonlight. With a smile, he taunted: "Don't even try to stop him. You're going to hear that more often in the next months."

His tone was joking, but if one looked closer, he could see the hints of countless sleepless nights in his eyes. When they wanted to get going, Gwen built herself up in front of him threatened playfully: "Ianto Jones, you will stand by my side, or I will show you what a pregnant woman can do."

"No you won't, think of the baby!", her husband tossed in. Gwen rolled her eyes and they all kept quiet then.

Still, all their thoughts were with the same man. Some were sympathetic, some not. Ianto felt left alone and hurt. And tired. His nights were not the same anymore as they used to be. Gwen, however, was truly confused. She was happy that Jack had decided to return, but where had he been all the time? Why hadn't he given a call? Whatever had happened, a tiny little text message didn't take that long, did it?

Rhys… well, Rhys absolutely couldn't decide if he was to feel good that Gwen's job would be a bit safer now, or if he should send that jumped-up idiot back to where he came from. Even if he had no idea where that was. Or when.

Somehow or other, all of them were excited to see him again. Captain Jack Harkness, the man who could never die.

They had almost reached the top of the hill. Gwen was the first to make out something. Next to an appletree that was maybe a little bit taller that Ianto stood a man in a well-worn army coat. His clothes would fit rather to the sixties and he had something incredibly sad in his intensively blue eyes. A smile spread on Gwen's face. Ianto exhaled in relief and at once all the weariness disappeared from his face. Even Rhys couldn't avoid to smile. Shortly. Very shortly. But he was sure that Jack had noticed, and not so sure if he liked that.

"You couldn't have just chosen a pub, could you?", Gwen said, smiling widely.

"It's bloody freezing. My feet…", Rhys complained and rubbed his fingers to warm them. Ianto said nothing, but the expression on his face could have filled a library.

"Oh, I missed that", Jack announced. "The Welsh complaining. You look good."

"Just you wait – I'm gonna look huge in a few months", she said.

"Then you'll still be bloody gorgeous", Rhys said lovingly.

Hesitantly, Jack took a step to Ianto and intertwined their fingers. Then he asked in a low voice: "You okay?"

Instead of answering, Ianto embraced him, long and passionately. "Did it work?", he whispered.

Jack freed himself, reluctantly but determined, with an expression that let Gwen know nothing good was following.

"Travelled to all sorts of places. This planet is too small. The whole world's like a graveyard."

"Come back to us", Gwen said hastily.

Jack shook his head. Haven't travelled far enough yet. There's still a lot of dirt to shake off my shoes. Right now, there's a cold fusion cruiser in the ion reefs of the solar system. Just waiting for it's signal to open the transport docks. It's going to orbit the Earth once – just takes a few days."

Ianto stood there with a petrified face. Of course, it was just a few days, but even that month without Jack had seemed like an eternity to him.

Smiling, Gwen pulled out something from the pocket of her jacket that looked like a wristwatch. She grabbed Jack's hand and tightened the leather band. "They found it in the wreckage. Unbreakable, like its owner." After a pause she added: "I put on a new strap for you."

"Cost me fifty quid!", Rhys interrupted, although he had intended to stay in the background. Not tauntingly, but because he couldn't stand it anymore. Then, as if by accident, he put his arm around Gwen's shoulders.

Jack laughed. It felt incredibly freeing. "Send me the bill."

"And you really want to leave again?", Ianto asked, sounding slightly agonized.

Jack became serious immediately. "Steven, Owen, Tosh, Suzie… They all died. Because of me. I just need some days of distance."

Laughing in tears, Gwen hugged him. "We can cope without you for a few days."

"Or a few days more", Rhys joked, but he placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and muttered: "See ya."

Jack nodded and turned to Ianto once again. "What about you? Can you cope without me, too?"

Unmoving, Ianto just stood there and nodded unwillingly. Jack pulled him into his arms and kissed him, but avoided his gaze. Then he stepped back, a treacherous sparkle in his eyes, saluted and vanished. The three of them were left alone upon the hilltop, their hands also raised in salute. They waited for a moment, before Rhys took his wife's hand and tried to make her go with him. But she shook her head and motioned in Ianto's direction. The young man was still staring at the stars.

Rhys nodded and waited. The first sunbeams already showed on the horizon.

This is a project I wrote together with my best friend, so I'll change from "me" to "us" now. And naturally, there are a few things we'd like to make clear.

Okay, first of all, we're German, so please ignore every single mistake you find – or don't find – and secretly laugh at us. We just couldn't be bothered to rewatch Children of Earth in english, so we just translated the german script. We also don't have a clue what Gwen nicknames Rhys.

_So, if you liked this, please review and tell us how great we are :D. If you didn't, please review and tell us what to improve. If you don't have an opinion, please review and tell us that you don't have an opinion. Oh, and if you can tell us the things we don't know or were too lazy to find out, then please review! _

_(No, we're NOT addicted to reviews. That would be ridiculous, wouldn't it? What, you think we ARE ridiculous? Review!)_


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